Oh God, what have I done?!

[Nutjob]

My ds is 5 and he absolutely loves his teddy, who he has had since birth. He takes it to bed with him every night, takes him with us on days out, basically he is part of the family.

The trouble is because of excessive cuddling over the years he has begun to get really smelly, sort of musty and yuck. I have squirted him with Febreze a few times but it doesn't seem to have worked, so in a moment of madness I shoved him in the washing machine (on hand-wash mode I hasten to add), he is in there now, and I am starting to panic, have I done the right thing?!! Ds will be inconsolable if anything happens to him. HELP!!! Is he going ot be OK?

beetroot, I've had that particular one since I was about 7 and it has huge sentimental value, if I want to retreat back to childhood when the adult world gets too much I just have to touch it again (though its hanging together by a few threads so I have to be very careful). Surely everyone has a few things to connect back to childhood.
PS I also have a problem throwing things away so the cupboards are full of things that I have no rational reason for keeping, I found my milk teeth the other day, but dh wants to chuck those as well on hygiene grounds

Ds didn't notice, but I ended up telling him because he was being really naughty when he got back from school, and wicked mother that I am I said 'If you don't behave I'll tell you what I did to teddy today'!!! Couldn't escape it then!!

Beetroot - I can fully understand Wiltshirelass couriering the teddy. I know they don't have magic powers to send them to sleep, but if they wake up during the night the presence of teddy can comfort them back to sleep without them getting you up too!!!

As for still have our own special teddies, I have still got my teddy which was given to me as a Christening present called (very imaginatively) Pink Ted. My dh HATES it, and calls it 'Dirty Ted' as he does look a bit the worse for wear after 34 years!!!

Glad your DS didn't notice what you'd done to his beloved bear

DS1 is now happy to have Red Ted substituted with Pooh Bear when we can't find RT. We've had RT posted to us from my parents house several times but never sent by courier!

I still have my pink and white elephant (Dumbo) and also a red and "white" bear (Strawberry) I won at a fair.

he was only 16 months at the time, and he did need him to go to sleep. it isn't just a cuddly, he actually sucks his ears much as you would suck a thumb. without it he would have just screamed his heart out for hours (like the time the bear got trapped in the washing machine at bedtime - screamed solidly for 3 hours). We figured that with the bank holidays the soonest we would get the bear by post was wednesday, and that 120 quid was bloody cheap for 3 nights peaceful sleep!

Maybe that's why I call myself nutjob But I would put my kids happiness before thinking of myself any time!!

i would paythta for a night slepp a ce moment so will you Wl in a few months time

god sorry - baby in arms

My dh (38) has a bear that he's had since birth but it's lived at his sisters house for the last 10 years so when we got it back in Feb the head was hanging off and his growl had gone - dh almost cried when he saw the state of "alan". Anyway 6 weeks ago I sent it to a teddy bear hospital as a surprise (it'll take a couple of months to fix) and he hasn't even noticed it's gone yet!!!

I am sorry if my comment offended you. However, all your comments on this thread have been a bit snippy and judgemental - so what if children have comforters? You don't agree with them - fine. But obviously other people do, so let's live and let live ey? I'm off to ASDAs now, I've had enough. Wow, I am having a M2T moment - new it wouldn't take long!!!!

oh beetroot, give me a break. of course I am capable of comforting my child. but when you are staying in someone elses house, having a child screaming the place down is something you would like to avoid. what do you want me to admit? that £120 means absolutely nothing to me? Ok, I will. actually £1000 means nothing to me - don't notice it one way or the other. please don't judge me because I have the cash to do this sort of thing, it was meant to be an amusing story not a cautionary tale against wiltshirelass and her frivolous use of couriers!!!

I have every sympathy in terms of how attached children are to their comforters. My DS has been mad about my nighties for 3 years or so and gets genuinely distressed if he can't hold one when he's tired. He has had his current one for 12 months or so (after he saw me wearing and kept stroking it saying enviously "that's a nice nightie". He gets very upset when I wash it and I have to wear it for a bit until it gets "the sniff" back as he so charmingly puts it. I think it dates back to the fact that he spent the first year or so in bed with me breastfeeding on demand.

I do sometimes worry that he is going to eventually turn into a grubby old man going around sniffing womens' dirty clothes baskets but for the time being, I would do virtually anything to ensure has access to it when he thinks he needs it.

beetroot, don't worry about it. as long as you were amused, that was the aim!

Oh come off it everyone, surely you're not going to really argue about teddy bears?! If you are it's a bit hilarious, you've got to admit! I loved your courier story wiltshirelass, speaking as someone who once biked a pair of shoes from one side of London to another as my new ones were hurting me at work and I didn't think I'd last the day without my usual pair...ahhh bells to your ds wanting your nightie, that's really sweet. And I laughed out loud at Janh's Dh, MO2 dead teddy on the line and Wilshirelass's solemn dd and caterpillar Brilliant stories.

Oh ok, you're not arguing, marvelous!

Oi Nutjob, get back here!!! What do you mean by 2 "an M2T moment"?

Who cares whether a child has a comforter or not! My ds has taken to pillowcases. I'm lucky in the respect that it can be just any old pillowcase, he's not fussy.

www, woman after my own heart. one of the things I miss most about not living in london is the lack of black cabs. I used to send them all over the place with random unaccompanied parcels. including when I couldn't be bothered to carry my bags on a shopping trip - just chuck them in a cab, send them home or to work, and keep on shopping!

oh god, beetroot will think me irretrieveably spendthrift now. apologies, apologies...

I long for the days I can do what you have done wiltshirelass. Unfortunately I doubt it will happen but I can but dream. Good luck to you. You've obviously earnt it and know how to enjoy it.

Just read this -do you think its us Mummies that are attached to these bits of grotty, furry, slimy stinky bits of cotton and fluff rather more than our sprogs. I know I'd miss Gerald Giraffe possibly more than dd if he went back to the Serengeti

Bells! A friend of mine's son is totally attached to her old silky dressing gown, taking it everywhere. I would never deprive my own ds of his "muzzy", he'll grow out of it in his own good time, I reckon.

do not EVER put teddy in microwave to 'warm him up a bit'- 10 seconds and then smoke and flames........oh yes we have done this.